Balenciaga, fw17/18

The Fashion Alphabet today is about D, like Down Jacket. Brilliant ideas, especially in creative environment, can often originate from a real necessity, or even from an avoided tragedy. In this case we are in Alaska in 1935, during a fishing trip, with Eddie Bauer about to have hypothermia. He, after having risked his life, understands and decides that, for some freezing temperatures, wool wasn’t enough, opting for a lined jacket that’s light at the same time; so, thinking about Russian Army’s jacket, ha created a warm and waterproof piece of outerwear, padded with goose down, with diamond shaped seams in order to keep the padding fixed and tight tobthe body. Patented in 1940, it becomes popular in ’42, thanks to the B-9, the jacket for USA air force, able to keep warm with an outside temperature of -56°C. Then is the turn of Moncler, that in ’52 establishes the company, at first producing tents, sleeping bags and one model of hooded cloak: a cloack that during the years, transforms itself becoming the core business of the company and then an iconic and timeless garment. Paninari, in the 80s, elect the down jackets as their distinguishing feature, matched with Best Company sweatshirts and Timberland boots, wearing all types of them, made of shiny nylon, oversized, in bright colors. The down jacket, in those years, is no more perceived as a purely technical garment for mountaineering and skiing, but becomes a symbol, recognizable and categorizable, of a precise group in terms of identity and style. Anyone remembers the “cinepanettone” movies in the 90s, starring Jerry Calà, Ezio Greggio, Christian de Sica and Massimo Boldi wearing in the many “Vacanze di Natale” (Christmas Holidays) huge and colored down jackets, matched with bad taste, during their adventures/misadventures in the mountains. Today we can say that fashion has transformed the down jacket with so many shapes, weights, materials and colors, that we are far from those years, when we were children and we felt like the “Michelin Man”, clumsy and ugly, forced by our mothers to go out dressed that way because “it was cold”. From sport, to movies, to catwalks, the step was short, and the down jacket is now a fashionable garment, as important as a coat or a blazer in a man’s wardrobe, presented also by niche brands like Comme des Garçons, Rick Owens, Raf Simons and Balenciaga. With Balenciaga and with his brand Vetements, the new, young creative director, Demna Gvasalia, imposes through his fashion shows the use of the down jacket, in very bright- almost unmatchable- colors, bulky and unstructured, for fall/winter as well as spring/summer; due to his contribution also, for fashion victims, now than ever, the down jacket has become a must-have and the characterizing part of a cool and modern look. In the picture for The Men Issue by Federico Miletto, the down jacket (Fall/Winter 17/18 Moncler) made of black shiny nylon with maxi pockets, is matched with a cotton hooded tracksuit and a wool beanie, in the classic sport mood; as always, the streetstyle shot aside shows a way of wearing it which is casual, but urban and cool at the same time. In the following gallery, instead, there are several looks from f/w 17/18 fashion shows – with some previews from spring/summer 18 – of great designers, that present sleeveless, printed, short, long, hooded or not down jackets. Giovanni de Ruvo

Alessandro Calascibetta has been active in fashion since the late 80s. He started off his career at L'Uomo Vogue, after that with Mondo Uomo. Afterward, he became Fashion Director at Harper's Bazaar Uomo, and in 2000 founded Uomo which he directed until 2003. Following that, he started collaborating with Rizzoli. Since january 2015 he is the Editor in Chief of Style Magazine, and still remains as Man Fashion Director for Io Donna and Sette.